Mouthpiece Devices and Methods to Allow UV Whitening of Teeth

ABSTRACT

A plastic mouthpiece insert for allowing a wearer to whiten their teeth while getting a suntan, and have a generally oblong oval-rectangular opening with a curved rear end that abuts against the root surfaces of the frontal upper and lower teeth of the wearer. A raised front edge can protect the lips and separate in place about the opening to the mouthpiece. Whitening agents can be used to enhance the whitening effect so that ultraviolet light and heat source such as the sun or a sunlamp is all that it is needed. Reflective inner walls in the mouthpiece can magnify light to the teeth. The mouthpiece can include bite tables, and the side walls of the mouthpiece can be inwardly flared and funnel shaped for focusing and magnifying incoming light and heat. The mouthpiece can be colored to protect the inside of the wearer&#39;s mouth from receiving any light. An attachable *and detachable compact hands-free light source can also be used. The light source can clip on the front of the mouthguard so that the mouthguard can allow for teeth whitening without the need for a suntanning lamp or use of the sun or other exterior light sources. The attached light source allows the user to use the mouthguard and not be restricted to staying in one place. With the attached light source the user is free to use both their hands and do all other types of activities and be able to freely move around.

This invention is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/603,301 filed Nov. 21, 2006, which was a Divisional of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/668,726 filed Sep. 23, 2003, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,160,111 which claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application 60/413,049 filed Sep. 24, 2002.

FIELD OF USE

This invention relates to teeth whitening, in particular to plasticinsertable mouthpieces and kits that can include whitening pastes andgels, for exposing upper and lower frontal teeth to be whitened byultraviolet light while allowing the wearer of the mouthpieces toreceive a suntan from suntan lamps and from natural sunlight, and forplastic insertable mouthpieces and kits with whitening pastes and gelsthat can also include compact ultraviolet light source adapters that canbe easily attached and detached from the mouthpieces, so that the wearercan whiten their teeth without using suntan lamps and outdoor light.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

Various professional and commercial services and products exist todayfor whitening teeth. For example, a dental professional can whiten teethby creating a specific mold of an individual's teeth or by using adevice for treating teeth. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,060,935 toRiddell; 4,376,628 to Aardse; and 5,165,424 to Silverman. However, thesemolds and devices are used to completely cover the teeth and must beused in combination with a chemical gel during treatments and oftenevery night while sleeping for several months for the desired effect.

Further versions of these mouth devices have the teeth wearing molds anddevices connected to power supplies where voltage and heat can also beused to enhance the whitening effect. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,382,979 toLinguist; 6,497,575 to Zavitsanos et al.; and U.S. patent applicationPublication to Zavitsanos et al. In addition to the problems with themolds and devices referenced above, these devices can cause harm to thepatient by the effects of exposure to heat and electricity over time.

Another known service has the dental professional apply a similarchemical whitener and laser light waves to cause the some effect in ashorter amount of time, but with substantial costs. See U.S. Pat. No.6,361,320 to Yarborough and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,645,428 and 6,416,320 toCipolla and assigned to Britesmile, Inc. The method behind this is thata chemical is used to whiten teeth but for faster results, a laser lightcould be used but normally requires extra protection to the gums becauseof the harmful combination of the harmful ingredients of the paste incombination with the laser light.

In addition to the substantial added expense of using a laser light,only skilled professionals can use such equipment for whitening teeth.In addition, these types of devices require using a laser type lightsource that must operate in a specific range in order to work. Forexample, the Cipolla patents '428 and '320 require light sources thatmust between 350 and 700 nm, and specifically require the need for lightsources that must further emit in wavelengths between 400-520 nanometersand 450 to 530 nanometers, respectively, in order to achieve optimumwhitening results.

Overall these professional procedures described above can generally costhundreds to thousands of dollars and require professionals to beadministered properly to patients. Additionally, the complete teeth moldand the light treatments can be uncomfortable to the patient. Stillfurthermore, the patient must make special appointments to have theappointments to have the treatments done which add to the undesirabilityof these services and products.

Off-the-shelf commercial products are also now available. For example,the easier and more accessible source of teeth whitening products arethe over-the-counter teeth whitening products, such as toothpastes withbaking powder, gels, and more recently “strips”. Although these productsmay be more affordable than using professional dental services, thesecommercial products are usually not quite as effective as professionalservices and usually take more time to create the desired effects ofwhitening one's teeth.

Various types of elaborate teeth whitening devices have been proposedthat attempt to include a light source. See for example, U.S. Pat. No.6,391,283 to Jensen et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publications2009/0148815 to Philp, Jr. et al., 2006/0172252 to Suzuki, and2008/0063999 to Osborn, and 2007/0111167 to Russell et al.

The Jensen '282 device in FIG. 2 requires the user hold the pistolappearing grip of a hair-dryer type device that powers the light source.An attached dental guard is held in place against the front teeth of theuser. Clearly, this device is cumbersome and requires the usercontinuously support the pistol type grip to be used. Also, the dentalarch cannot be used without the pistol grip supported light source.

Philp '815 is another hand supported device that requires the user tosupport a wand with a light emitting curved end against one's teeth thatis similarly cumbersome. Suzuki '252 has light sources inside of amouthpiece with the light source cable attached to a power pack that isalso cumbersome and undesirable for regular use. Russell '167 describesa light based toothbrush that also requires the user physically hold thedevice while brushing one's teeth.

Osborn '999 describes a tooth whitening lens with bite plate havingbuilt in LEDS so that the device only operates with the LED lights. TheLEDs cannot be removed from the device

Other types of devices such as a product identified as WhiteLight, thatcan be seen onhttp://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/whitelight_tooth_whitening_system.html,uses a portable light source with curved arch that abuts against a traydevice. The user must position their lips about the curved arch to holdthe light source against the tray or otherwise the light source willfall out. Also, the tray does not the lips of the user apart from oneanother

Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the priorart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first objective of the present invention is to provide a method anddevice for whitening teeth that does not require professionals such asdentists, and the like to administer.

The second objective of the present invention is to provide a method anddevice for whitening teeth that is as effective as professional teethwhitening treatments and devices but is substantially safer and lessexpensive and easier to use.

The third objective of the present invention is to provide a method anddevice for whitening teeth that does not require the user to wear moldsand devices on their teeth overnight.

The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a method anddevice for whitening teeth that is more effective than simple gels andpastes used by themselves to whiten teeth.

The fifth objective of this invention is to provide a method and devicefor whitening teeth that protects the gums against harmful teethwhitening ingredients and harmful light such as UV light.

The sixth objective of the present invention is to provide a method anddevice for whitening teeth that allows the user to whiten their teethwhile receiving a suntan.

The seventh objective of the present invention is to provide a methodand device for whitening teeth that can use traditional sunlamps and thenatural light from the sun for whitening teeth, and does not requireartificial light sources such as lasers, and the like.

The eighth objective of the invention is to provide a methods, devicesand systems for whitening teeth having a clip on hands-free light sourceadapter for a mouthguard so that the hands-free light source adapter isused to only provide light to whiten the teeth, or the guard can be usedseparately with an artificial tanning light source or the sun.

The ninth objective of the invention is to provide a methods, devicesand systems for whitening the teeth with a kit having a mouthguard thatseparates the lips, a whitening agent/gel and an attachable compacthands-free light source, so that teeth can be whitened by light suppliedby the hands-free compact light source, or alternatively the mouthguardis used without the portable light source when natural light or tanninglight is available.

The tenth objective of the present invention is to provide methods,devices and systems for allowing for whitening one's teeth using acombined mouthguard and detachable hands-free light source so that theuser is not restricted from doing other types of activities such as workand exercise and shopping and other natural day to day activities andthe like while having their teeth be whitened.

A preferred system and method for whitening teeth combines a mouth piecewith a face end and a rear end and having an oval shape between the faceend and the rear end with an oval shaped opening therethrough, the mouthpiece being insertable into a mouth of a user with the rear end adjacentto abut against root edges of upper and lower frontal teeth for exposingthe upper frontal teeth and lower frontal teeth of the user. The systemfurther allows for a light source for beaming light onto the exposedupper front teeth and the exposed lower frontal teeth for bleaching theexposed upper frontal teeth and exposed lower frontal teeth over timeand while protecting the upper and lower gums of the user from the lightsource.

The mouthpiece can have an elongated oval length with a concave curvedrear edge for abutting against upper the lower frontal teeth root edgeportions of the user. The mouthpiece can have an upper half portion forpushing an upper lip of the user to expose the upper frontal teeth, anda lower half portion for pushing downward a lower lip of the user forexposing the lower frontal teeth of the user. The front end of themouthpiece can have a raised rounded edge for keeping the upper lip andthe lower lip in an open state.

The mouth piece can be formed from molded plastic, and come in differentcolors so that the colors can further protect the insides of the mouthsuch as the roof of the mouth, the tongue, and the gums of the mouthfrom getting exposed to undesirable UV type light.

The mouthpiece can be part of a kit that can include a whitening agentfor being placed on the upper and lower frontal teeth prior to the lightsource.

A preferred light source can be an ultraviolet heated light source thatemits in the range of approximately 200 nm to approximately 400 nm suchas a body sunlamp in a suntan spa, where the wearer of the mouthpiececan receive a suntan while whitening their upper and the lower frontalteeth.

The light source can also be natural sunlight for simultaneously tanningthe user while whitening the upper and the lower frontal teeth.

Another embodiment of the mouthpiece can include reflective inner wallsurfaces in the mouthpiece for magnifying effects of a light source.

A still another embodiment of the mouthpiece can include a bite tabattached to and protruding inside the mouthpiece for allowing a user tobite down on the bite tab to secure the mouthpiece is a fixed position.

A still another embodiment of the mouthpiece can include sidewallsflaring inwardly from the face end to the rear end so that mouthpiececan focus incoming light to substantially cover all upper and lowerfrontal teeth for exposure to whitening by light.

A teeth whitening system, can further include the combination of aplastic mouthpiece with a face end and a rear end, the mouth piecehaving an upper member and a lower member, the mouth piece beingadaptable for insertion into a mouth of a user with the upper member andthe lower member adapted to abut adjacent root edges of upper and lowerfrontal teeth for exposing substantially all of the upper and lowerfrontal teeth of the user, the upper member adapted to push up an upperlip of the user, and the lower member adapted to push down a lower lipof the user, a compact light source adapter having a front end and arear end, the front end having a battery power and at least one UVemitting light source and the rear end having a concave curved surface,attachment clips for attaching concave curved surface of the lightsource adapter to front portions of both the upper and lower members ofthe mouthpiece, and a whitening agent for being placed on the upper andlower frontal teeth, wherein UV light is emitted from the light sourceadapter onto the exposed teeth without restricting movement of the user.

The at least one light source can include at least one light emittingdiode(LED).

The attachment clips can include two hook clips attached to oppositefront edges attached to and projecting out from the front portions ofthe mouthpiece. The attachment clips can include four hook clips equallyspaced apart from one another and attached to and projecting out fromthe front portions of the mouthpiece.

The light source adapter can include a raised rim/lip about the concavecurved surface of the rear end, so that the clips from the mouthpiececan clip about the raised rim on the rear end of the light sourceadapter.

The light source adapter can include two hook clips attached to oppositefront edges attached to and projecting out from the rear end of thelight source adapter. The light source adapter can include four clipsequally spaced apart from one another and attached to attached to andprojecting out from the rear end of the light source adapter. Themouthpiece can include a raised rim/lip on the face end, so that theclips clip about the raised rim on the face end of the mouthpiece.

Another method of whitening teeth, can include the steps of providing aplastic mouthpiece having a convex curved front end and a concave curvedrear end and a channel therebetween, the front end having an uppermember and a lower member, providing horizontal bite portions on themouthpiece extending rearwardly from the mouthpiece, providing ahands-free compact light source having a battery powered light with thatemits in a wavelength range of approximately 200 nm to approximately 400nm, the compact light source having a rear end with a lens having aconcave curved rear surface, attaching the concave curved rear end ofthe light source to the convex curved front end of the mouthpiece,positioning the mouthpiece to be adapted for insertion into a mouth of auser, the upper member for exposing upper frontal teeth of the user withthe mouthpiece, the lower member for exposing lower frontal teeth of theuser, pushing an upper lip upward with the upper member of themouthpiece while pushing a lower lip of the user downward with the lowermember of the mouthpiece, biting the horizontal bite portions forallowing the mouth piece to be stable and remain stationary in themouth, activating the switch to turn on the light in the light sourceagainst the user, whitening the exposed upper and lower frontal teethfrom the light source while the user including exterior portions of theupper and the lower lips of the user, wherein the attached light sourceand mouthpiece allow for hands-free whitening of the upper and lowerfrontal teeth of the user.

The positioning step can include the step of placing a rear end of themouth piece against root edges of the teeth so that the mouthpieceprotects gums of the user during the whitening step.

The light can be magnified by the lens for enhancing the whitening ofthe upper and the lower frontal teeth. The light can be focussed by thelens during the whitening step.

The attaching step can include the steps of providing clip members aboutthe perimeter edges of the front end of the mouthpiece, the clip membershaving hook ends, and clipping the hook ends about perimeter edges ofthe rear end of the compact light source.

Alternatively, the attaching step can include the steps of providingclip members about the perimeter edges of the rear end of the compactlight source, the clip members having hook ends, and clipping the hookends about perimeter edges of the front end of the mouthpiece.

The method can also allow for removing the light source so that themouthpiece can be used with an artificial tanning lamp or with the sun.

Another teeth whitening mouthguard embodiment can include a plasticmouthpiece with a face end and a rear end, the mouth piece having anupper member and a lower member, the mouth piece being adaptable forinsertion into a mouth of a user with the upper member and the lowermember adapted to abut adjacent root edges of upper and lower frontalteeth for exposing substantially all of the upper and lower frontalteeth of the user, the upper member adapted to push up an upper lip ofthe user, and the lower member adapted to push down a lower lip of theuser, a compact light source adapter having a front end and a rear end,the front end having a battery power and at least one UV emitting lightsource and the rear lens end having a concave curved surface, attachmentmembers for attaching concave curved surface of the light source adapterto front portions of both the upper and lower members of the mouthpiece,wherein the light source attached to the mouthpiece allows forhands-free use of both the mouthguard and the light source whenwhitening teeth.

The mouthguard can further include rearwardly extending bite tabsattached to the mouthpiece for stabilizing the mouthpiece when beingused.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description of the presently preferredembodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a top rear perspective view of a first preferred embodimentof the mouthpiece.

FIG. 1B is a top front perspective view of the first preferredembodiment of the mouthpiece.

FIG. 2A is a top view of the mouthpiece embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1B.

FIG. 2B is a front end view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 2A along arrow 2B

FIG. 2C is a side view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 2A along arrow 2C.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a kit for the embodiment of thepreceding figures that can include the mouthpiece and a tube ofwhitening agent.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the mouthpiece of the preceding figures inplace exposing upper and lower frontal teeth.

FIG. 5 shows another view of FIG. 4 with a whitening agent beingapplied.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a user wearing the mouthpiece of thepreceding figures while receiving whitening treatment from a lightsource.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment mouthpiece withreflective walls.

FIG. 8A is a top rear perspective view of a third preferred embodimentof the mouthpiece with bite tab(s).

FIG. 8B is a top front perspective view of the third preferredembodiment mouthpiece.

FIG. 9A is a top view of the mouthpiece embodiment of FIGS. 7-8

FIG. 9B is a front end view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 9A along arrow 9B

FIG. 9C is a side view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 9A along arrow 9C.

FIG. 10A is a top view of a fourth embodiment mouthpiece with inwardlyflared sidewalls.

FIG. 10B is a front end view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 10A along arrow1013

FIG. 10C is a side view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 10A along arrow 10C.

FIG. 11A is a front end view of another embodiment of the mouthpiecewith rear projecting bite tabs.

FIG. 11B is a top view of the mouthpiece with bite tabs of FIG. 11Aalong arrow 11A.

FIG. 12A is a top view of another embodiment of the mouthpiece with endclip members and an attachable and detachable portable compact lightsource.

FIG. 12B is a side-cross-sectional view of the mouthpiece with top andbottom clip members and the attachable and detachable portable compactlight source of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 13 is a front view of a person wearing the mouthpiece withattachable compact light source.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention indetail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of the particular arrangements shown sincethe invention is capable of other embodiments. Also the terminology usedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

FIG. 1A is a top rear perspective view of a first preferred embodimentof the mouthpiece 1. FIG. 1B is a top front perspective view of thefirst preferred embodiment of the mouthpiece 1. FIG. 2A is a top view ofthe mouthpiece 1 of FIGS. 1A-1B. FIG. 2B is a front end view of themouthpiece 1 of FIG. 2A along arrow 2B FIG. 2C is a side view of themouthpiece 1 of FIG. 2A along arrow 2C.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A-2C, mouthpiece 1 can include a front faceend 10 having a slightly convex outer edge 12 with a raised roundedsurface ridge 14 running about face end 10 with a generally parallelupper and lower walls 16 and curved end walls 18 that together define agenerally rectangular-oval shaped opening. Upper wall 17 can further beslightly curved upward to more expose upper frontal teeth of the user.The opening of the mouthpiece 1 can be approximately 2 and 3/10 incheswide between curved end walls 18, with a height of approximately 9/10 ofan inch to approximately 1 and 1/10 of an inch between upper and lowerwalls 16-16 and 17-17.

Mouthpiece 1 can include side wall portion 20 with an opening 26matching that of the front end 10. Side wall portion 20 can have thinwalls of approximately 1/10 inch thick, with left side 22 beingapproximately 9/10 of an inch long, mid side portion 24 beingapproximately 4/10 of an inch long, and right side 28 beingapproximately 9/10 of an inch long. Rear face 30 can have generallyplanar left rear edge 32, a generally planar right rear edge 38 and agenerally concave curved rear edge 34 running between the left rear edge32 and the right rear edge 38.

Mouthpiece 1 can be formed from molded plastic and the like, and cancome in different colors such as but not limited to blue, red, clear,and the like.

The dimensions of the mouthpiece referenced above can be for an adultmale size mouthpiece 1. Different dimensions can be made for mouthpiecesfor women and children. For example, a women's size mouth piece caninclude dimensions of a modified opening of approximately 2 and 1/10inches wide by approximately 7/10 to approximately 8/10 inches in heightand sidewalls of approximately 6/10 to approximately 7/10 inches long.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a kit 70 for the embodiment of thepreceding figures that can include the mouthpiece 1 and a tube 50 ofwhitening agent. The kit 70 can include package 60 such as but notlimited to a plastic see-through bag that seals a single mouthpiece 1and a tube 50 of whitening agent inside so that a user is guaranteed asterile version of the novel mouthpiece 1 when being used. Tube 50 caninclude a whitening agent such as but not limited to a gel or paste withfor example, approximately 21% carbamide peroxide, which can be mintflavored, and is light and heat activated.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the mouthpiece 1 of the preceding figuresin place exposing upper and lower frontal teeth 110, 120 respectively.FIG. 5 shows another view of FIG. 4 with a whitening agent 50 beingapplied. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a user 100 wearing themouthpiece 1 of the preceding figures while receiving whiteningtreatment from a light and heat source 150.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, mouthpiece 1 can be inserted into the mouth 105of a user 100 so that rear face end 30 abuts against the root edges 112,122 of the upper frontal teeth 110 and the lower frontal teeth 120 whileprotecting upper and lower gum areas 115, 125 of the user's mouth frombeing exposed to the light and heat source 150. The front end 10 of themouth piece 1 can be pushed in so that raised rounded surface ridge 14is able to abut against and hold back upper and lower lips 118, 128 ofthe user 100. The mouthpiece 1 allows light 155 to pass within theopening defined by side wall portion 20 so that upper and lower frontalteeth 110, 120 are exposed to the light and heat 155 but not any of theother areas of the interior of the mouth 105 such as but not limited tothe gum areas 115, 125.

The novel structural shape and using a mouthpiece in different colorsallows for adequate protection for the insides of the mouth such as theroof of the mouth, the tongue, and the gums of the mouth from gettingexposure to undesirable UV type light sources and/or heat sources.

The mouthpiece 1 can easily slip into the mouth 105 between the lips118, 128 and sits comfortable in front of the gums 115, 125, leaving theupper and lower frontal teeth 110, 120 exposed to a light 155 such asheated ultraviolet light 155 that can be emitted from a light source 150such as a sunlamp in a tanning booth, and the like. The mouthpiece 1 canbe placed into the mouth 105 when the wearer 100 is entering a tanningbed or tanning apparatus.

The novel invention can use sunlamps and ultraviolet light sources usedin tanning booths and/or by sunlamps that can emit within the range ofapproximately 200 to approximately 400 nanometers, such as the thosesunlamps and ultraviolet lamps used in sunlamp products for the tanningindustry defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. See Code ofFederal Regulations Title 21, Volume 8, Sec. 1040.20 which controlsregulations for the sunlamp and tanning industry.

In addition, the light and heat source 150 can be the natural sun whichis known to emit ultraviolet light that reaches the earth surface withinthe range of approximately 290 to approximately 400 nanometers. Seearticle entitled: Allen, Jeannie, Ultraviolet Radiation: How It AffectsLife on Earth, Earth Observatory, NASA, Sep. 6, 2001.

Unlike the prior art, the novel invention does not require the need touse expensive and elaborate and often complex to use artificial lightsources such as lasers, and the like, that were described in thebackground of the invention.

After insertion of the mouthpiece 1, the wearer 100 places the front oftheir mouth 105 in the direction of the light source 150. The heated UVlight 155 from light source 150 hits the upper and lower frontal teeth110, 120 causing them to whiten. The light source 150 can also be thesun so that a user 100 lying under the sun during a suntan can also usethe novel mouthpiece 1 for whitening their teeth. The bleaching that iscreated by the mouthpiece 1 alone is done by the UV light source,similar to bleaching of bones. The mouthpiece 1 can be used without thewhitening agent 50 over a long amount of time as compared when used witha whitening agent 50.

For enhanced and faster effects a whitening agent material 55 such asbut not limited to a carbomide peroxide (different percentages) toothwhitening gel or paste can be added to cause the frontal upper and lowerteeth 110, 120 to become whiter more quickly. The whitening material 55can be lightly spread on the frontal upper and lower teeth 110, 120 inconjunction with the use of the mouthpiece 1 for a faster desiredeffect.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 1, with or without the whiteningagent 50 can be sold and/or distributed through tanning salons where itcan be used productively up to approximately two to approximately threetimes a week until the appropriate whiteness is created.

The invention can be used in connection with an already allotted amountof time in a tanning bed or lying on the beach or anywhere else whilethe user 100 is getting a tan. The mouthpiece 1 with or without thewhitening agent 50 is substantially less expensive and less obtrusivethan professional whitening services as described in the backgroundsection of the invention, but cart have at least similar whiteningeffects as professional whitening services and products. The novelmouthpiece 1 can be purchased by a consumer once and can be used overand over with no maintenance, other than an occasional cleaning anddisinfecting. The whitening agent 50 can be repurchased individuallywhen needed.

The novel mouthpiece 1 is structurally shaped so as not to add anyundesirable creases to the lips and face when the wearer 100 is gettinga suntan.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment mouthpiece 200 withreflective inner walls 210 that can be a shiny insert material such assilver paint material, a glossy finish, and the like. The rest of thesecond embodiment mouthpiece 200 is identical to the first embodimentmouthpiece 1 previously described and can work similar the embodimentpreviously described. In addition the reflective inner walls 210 allowlight to become magnified to increase the whitening effect on the upperand lower frontal teeth 110, 120 of the wearer 1 effectively shorteningthe amount of time needed to whiten the teeth. Similar t

FIG. 8A is a top rear perspective view of a third preferred embodimentof the mouthpiece 300 with bite tabs 310, 320. FIG. 8B is a top frontperspective view of the third preferred embodiment mouthpiece 300. FIG.9A is a top view of the mouthpiece embodiment 300 of FIGS. 7-8 FIG. 9Bis a front end view of the mouthpiece 300 of FIG. 9A along arrow 9B.FIG. 9C is a side view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 9A along arrow 9C.

Referring to FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A-9C, mouthpiece 300 can include horizontaltab portions 310, 320 that can be molded to protrude in a perpendiculardirection inside the side wall ends 22, 28 of the side wall portion 20of the mouthpiece 300 toward one another. The tab portions 310, 320 canalso extend behind the rear end 30 of the mouthpiece 300. Mouthpiece 300can be made similar to and operate similar to those of the precedingembodiments. Additionally mouthpiece 300 allows the wearer the abilityto bite down on the tabs 310, 320 allowing the mouthpiece to be morestable and remain stationary in one position inside the mouth 105, whileallowing the wearer to maintain a fixed desirable facial position fortanning as well.

FIG. 10A is a top view of a fourth embodiment mouthpiece 400 withinwardly flared sidewalls 420. FIG. 10B is a front end view of themouthpiece 400 of FIG. 10A along arrow 10. FIG. 10C is a side view ofthe mouthpiece 400 of FIG. 10A along arrow 10C.

Referring to FIGS. 10A-10C, mouthpiece 400 can be similar to andfunction similar to the preceding embodiments. In addition, mouthpiece400 can include side wall portion 420 that flares inwardly between frontend 10 and rear end 430 of the mouthpiece 400. The left and right sidewalls 422, 428, and the upper and lower side walls 424, 426 can slopeinwardly in a funnel type shape that can be used to allow the frontalupper and lower teeth 110, 120 to be exposed in a manner similar to thepreceding embodiments. Here, the front open end 10 opening top allowlight to be focused and magnified onto the frontal upper and lower teethof the wearer. Furthermore, the inner surfaces of the side wall portion420 can include reflective surfaces to further magnify the amount oflight being used for whitening.

While the invention describes the use of tanning and sunlamps used inthe tanning industry, as well as the natural sun for getting both a suntan as well as whitening the teeth, the invention can be used with otherapplications. For example, a face device with light source that emitssimilar wavelengths can be used for achieving a limited suntan of thethe wearer's face as well as for whitening the teeth.

Still furthermore, a light source can be made part of the front of themouthpiece so that only the upper frontal teeth and lower frontal teethreceive the light for whitening.

The invention can include a kit having a novel mouthguard device with anattachable and removable compact light source adapter, along withwhitening agent pastes/gels. Still furthermore, the kits can furtherinclude self tanning sprays and lotions so that the user can apply anartificial tan effect to their surface skin, while using the mouthguardand attachable compact light source adapter to limit light emissions tothe front of the teeth and not to the skin.

The attachable and detachable compact light source adapter can allow theuser the ability to use only the mouthguard with suntanning lamps or thenatural sun when a tan is also desired while whitening their teeth. Theuser can attach the compact hands-free light adapter to the front of themouthguard when suntanning lamps and/or other exterior light sources arenot available and/or not desired.

The attached light source allows the user to use the mouthguard and notbe restricted to staying in one place. With the attached light sourcethe user is free to use both their hands and do all other types ofactivities and be able to freely move about, For example, the user canexercise in a healthclub using the mouthguard with attached lightsource, work at their desk, in their garden or move about in public,without any restrictions while whitening their teeth. The attached lightsource allows for the hands of the user and to be both available and notrestricted to supporting or aiming the light source.

FIG. 11A is a front end view of another embodiment of the mouthpiece 500with rear projecting bite tabs 542, 544. FIG. 11B is a top view of themouthpiece 500 with bite tabs 542, 544 of FIG. 11A along arrow 11A.Mouthpiece 500 is similar to the previous embodiments and includes aconvex curved surface front end 510 with raised lip edge 512 and aconcave curved surface rear end 530 with raised lip edge 532, andmidportion 520 therebetween. The bite tabs 542, 544 can be attached tothe rear raised lip edge 532 and project rearwardly from the mouthpiece500. Similar to the other embodiments, the mouthpiece 500 separates theupper and lower lips of the user so that the upper front teeth and thelower front teeth are exposed, with the front lip edge 512 of the frontend keeping the upper and lower lips in place. The bite tabs 542, 544have a similar purpose to the bite tabs of the previous embodiments andallow for the mouthpiece 500 to be held in a stable position within themouth of the user. The mouthpiece 500 can be used in a similar manner tothe previous embodiments where the user can use a whitening agentpaste/gel on the upper and lower front teeth of the user, followed byexposing the exposed upper and lower front teeth to a UV light source,such as an artificial tanning type lamp, the sun, and the like.

FIG. 12A is a top view of another embodiment of the mouthpiece 600 withend clip members 610, 620, 630 and an attachable and detachable portablecompact light source 700. FIG. 12B is a side-cross-sectional view of themouthpiece 600 with top and bottom clip members 610, 620, 630 and theattachable and detachable portable compact light source 700 of FIG. 11A.FIG. 13 is a front view of a person wearing the mouthpiece 600 withattachable compact light source 700.

The mouthpiece 600 has similar features to the mouthpiece 500 of theprevious embodiment and includes up to four clip members 610, 620, 630(the fourth one is on the opposite side of clip member 630). Each of theclip members can molded from the outer edges of the front lip portions532 of the front end 530 of the mouthpiece. The ends of the clip members610, 620, 630 can include hook members 612, 622, 632 that face inward.

The light source 700 can be a compact small light source adapter havinga triangular base 710 with on/off switch 715, such as but not limited toa push button. The inside of the base 730 can have a battery powersupply 740 such as but not limited to two lithium CR2025 batteries thatpowers an interior UV(ultraviolet) light 735 such as but not limited toone or more LED(light emitting diode(s)). The light 735 can emit lightthrough a translucent concave curved lens 720, that can expand the lightalong the width and length of the lens 720. The lens 720 can alsomagnify and/or focus the light 735 rearwardly from the light source 700.The concave curved lens 720 can have raised lip edges 725 about theperimeter of the concave curved lens 720. The light source 700 can havea width and length of only several inches, and be lightweight to onlyweigh several ounces so that the light source 700 can easily be usedwith the mouthpiece 600 and be held in the user's mouth without anyhands or other supports when being used.

Referring to FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B and 13, the compact light source700 can be attached to the mouthpiece by clipping the hook ends 612,622, 632 or the clip members 610, 620, 630 about the perimeter edges ofthe raised lip edges 725 of the light source 700. The switch 715 can bepushed in once to turn on the light(s) 725 and pushed in again to turnoff the light(s) 725 when the light source is not being used. When thelight source 700 is attached to the mouthpiece 600 and the mouthpiece600 has been inserted in front of the user's teeth pushing up and downthe lips of the user, and the light 735 is turned on, the light source700 and mouthpiece 600 are now in a hands-free operation where the userdoes not have to stay in one position, and can perform many activitieswithout restriction.

To remove the light source 700, the clip members 610, 620, 630 can bebent back allowing the mouthpiece 600 to be used with artificial tanninglamps or be used outdoors, as described in the previous embodiments.

While the embodiments describe and show the clips projecting out fromthe front end of the mouthpiece to clip about the rear end of the lightsource, the invention can have the clips projecting rearwardly from thelight source to clip about front edges (or raised rim edges) on thefront of the mouthpiece.

Although clips are described having hook ends, the invention can bepracticed with other types of fastening members, such as but not limitedto tabs that insert into openings, hook and loop fasteners such as butnot limited to Velcro®, and the like.

Although the embodiments of FIGS. 12A-12C have clip members, theinvention can be practiced with the compact handsfree light sourcepre-attached or molded onto the front of the mouthpiece 600, so that theentire combination is hands-free, and the user can use the combinationanytime and anyplace without having an external artificial suntanninglight source or the sun, and the like.

The invention allows for using a novel light source with a brush onwhitening system and does not use the complicated molds and differenttray type applications, etc. of the prior art, that generally require atleast one hand to support and use the light sources, and/or requireprofessional dental type services to be hired.

While the preferred embodiments describe the use of single moldedplastic for the mouthpieces, the invention can be assembled from pluralpieces of plastic, and/or can be made of other materials, such as butnot limited to different material compositions, wood, and coated metals,material combinations thereof, and the like.

Although the embodiments described above are described as each includingseparate novel features, the invention can be practiced with anyone ofthe embodiments using or not using novel features of the otherembodiments.

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shownin various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it haspresumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be,nor should it be deemed to be limited thereby and such othermodifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings hereinare particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth andscope of the claims here appended.

1. A teeth whitening system, comprising the combination of: a plasticmouthpiece with a face end and a rear end, the mouth piece having anupper member and a lower member, the mouth piece being adaptable forinsertion into a mouth of a user with the upper member and the lowermember adapted to abut adjacent root edges of upper and lower frontalteeth for exposing substantially all of the upper and lower frontalteeth of the user, the upper member adapted to push up an upper lip ofthe user, and the lower member adapted to push down a lower lip of theuser; a compact light source adapter having a front end and a rear end,the front end having a battery power and at least one UV emitting lightsource and the rear end having a concave curved surface; attachmentclips for attaching concave curved surface of the light source adapterto front portions of both the upper and lower members of the mouthpiece;and a whitening agent for being placed on the upper and lower frontalteeth, wherein UV light is emitted from the light source adapter ontothe exposed teeth without restricting movement of the user.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1: the at least one light source includes at least onelight emitting diode(LED).
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theattachment clips include: two hook clips attached to opposite frontedges attached to and projecting out from the front portions of themouthpiece.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment clipsinclude: four hook clips equally spaced apart from one another andattached to and projecting out from the front portions of themouthpiece.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the light source adapterincludes a raised rim about the concave curved surface of the rear end,so that the clips clip about the raised rim on the rear end of the lightsource adapter.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the light sourceadapter includes a raised rim about the concave curved surface of therear end, so that the clips clip about the raised rim on the rear end ofthe light source adapter.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theattachment clips include: two hook clips attached to opposite frontedges attached to and projecting out from the rear end of the lightsource adapter.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment clipsinclude: four clips equally spaced apart from one another and attachedto and projecting out from the rear end of the light source adapter. 9.The system of claim 7, wherein the mouthpiece includes: a raised rim onthe face end, so that the clips clip about the rasied rim on the faceend of the mouthpiece.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the mouthpieceincludes: a raised rim on the face end, so that the clips clip about therasied rim on the face end of the mouthpiece.
 11. A method of whiteningteeth, comprising the steps of providing a plastic mouthpiece having aconvex curved front end and a concave curved rear end and a channeltherebetween, the front end having an upper member and a lower member;providing horizontal bite portions on the mouthpiece extendingrearwardly from the mouthpiece providing a hands-free compact lightsource having a battery powered light with that emits in a wavelengthrange of approximately 200 nm to approximately 400 nm, the compact lightsource having a rear end with a lens having a concave curved rearsurface; attaching the concave curved rear end of the light source tothe convex curved front end of the mouthpiece; positioning themouthpiece to be adapted for insertion into a mouth of a user, the uppermember for exposing upper frontal teeth of the user with the mouthpiece,the lower member for exposing lower frontal teeth of the user; pushingan upper lip upward with the upper member of the mouthpiece whilepushing a lower lip of the user downward with the lower member of themouthpiece; biting the horizontal bite portions for allowing the mouthpiece to be stable and remain stationary in the mouth activating theswitch to turn on the light in the light source against the user; andwhitening the exposed upper and lower frontal teeth from the lightsource while the user including exterior portions of the upper and thelower lips of the user, wherein the attached light source and mouthpieceallow for hands-free whitening of the upper and lower frontal teeth ofthe user.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the positioning stepincludes the step of: placing a rear end of the mouth piece against rootedges of the teeth so that the mouthpiece protects gums of the userduring the whitening step.
 13. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising the step of: magnifying the light source by the lens forenhancing the whitening of the upper and the lower frontal teeth. 14.The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of: focusing thelight source by the lens during the whitening step.
 15. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the attaching step includes the steps of: providingclip members about the perimeter edges of the front end of themouthpiece, the clip members having hook ends; clipping the hook endsabout perimeter edges of the rear end of the compact light source. 16.The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: removing thelight source so that the mouthpiece can be used with an artificialtanning lamp or with the sun.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein theattaching step includes the steps of providing clip members about theperimeter edges of the rear end of the compact light source, the clipmembers having hook ends; clipping the hook ends about perimeter edgesof the front end of the mouthpiece.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising the step of: removing the light source so that the mouthpiececan be used with an artificial tanning lamp or with the sun.
 19. A teethwhitening mouthguard, comprising: a plastic mouthpiece with a face endand a rear end, the mouth piece having an upper member and a lowermember, the mouth piece being adaptable for insertion into a mouth of auser with the upper member and the lower member adapted to abut adjacentroot edges of upper and lower frontal teeth for exposing substantiallyall of the upper and lower frontal teeth of the user, the upper memberadapted to push up an upper lip of the user, and the lower memberadapted to push down a lower lip of the user; a compact light sourceadapter having a front end and a rear end, the front end having abattery power and at least one UV emitting light source and the rearlens end having a concave curved surface; attachment members forattaching concave curved surface of the light source adapter to frontportions of both the upper and lower members of the mouthpiece, whereinthe light source attached to the mouthpiece allows for hands-free use ofboth the mouthguard and the light source when whitening teeth.
 20. Themouthguard of claim 20, further comprising: rearwardly extending bitetabs attached to the mouthpiece for stabilizing the mouthpiece whenbeing used.